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Beeching, Nicholas 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7019-8791, Fenech, Manuel, Fletcher, Tom and Houlihan, Catherine F
(2017)
Ebola virus infection.
London, BMJ.
Abstract
A severe, often fatal, zoonotic infection caused by a virus of the Filoviridae family (genus Ebolavirus ).
Human-to-human transmission occurs via contact with body fluids from infected patients. The incubation period after infection is 1 to 21 days (typically 5-12 days), and patients are not considered infectious until they develop symptoms.
Initial stages of infection are non-specific, which makes the differential diagnosis broad; therefore, clinical suspicion of the infection with prompt isolation is very important in the context of a history of exposure.
Management is centred around supportive care and infection control. The lack of any specific antiviral treatment or approved vaccine makes treatment difficult; however, several potential therapeutic agents are undergoing accelerated development, and clinical studies are either planned or ongoing.
Case fatality rates range from 20% to 90%. Survivors often have prolonged ill health with significant disability.
The risk of sexual transmission from male survivors may persist for at least 9 months.
As there is a high likelihood of infected people travelling, all countries should have tested and practised protocols ready for screening and managing patients.
| Item Type: | Other |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | W General Medicine. Health Professions > Health Services. Patients and Patient Advocacy > W 84.4 Quality of Health Care WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. Other Virus Diseases > WC 534 Viral hemorrhagic fevers |
| Faculty: Department: | Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department Clinical Sciences & International Health > International Public Health Department |
| Depositing User: | Stacy Murtagh |
| Date Deposited: | 02 May 2018 16:01 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Nov 2019 11:52 |
| URI: | https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/8569 |
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